Chapter Two: The Little White Flower

When Xie Yingying awoke again, her eyes were covered with a strip of white cloth.

Clutching the fluttering ribbon at the corner of the bed, she managed to sit up, but her body felt unreasonably exhausted—the medicine’s effect was truly fierce.

She tore away the cloth before her eyes and, after some effort, finally made out her surroundings. The room was utterly chaotic, every item in disarray. The luxurious bed, meticulously arranged by the original owner, had been only briefly mentioned in the novel; yet after her arrival, it had been put to full use.

“What a mess... How did I end up so unlucky?” Xie Yingying forced herself upright, gazing despairingly into the darkness around her.

Suddenly, her arm brushed against something soft—naturally, it was the male lead.

She glanced at Bai Shengyun by her side. At this moment, he had already reverted to human form and was dressed in his inner robes, curled up peacefully and quietly, the violet outer robe spread beneath him, his dark hair cascading unrestrained.

Strangely, the cinnabar-red birthmark between his brows, as vivid as lipstick, had vanished completely.

Xie Yingying swiftly gathered her clothes, tiptoeing off the bed with utmost caution, even slipping her outer garment from beneath the covers.

Now was the time to escape, if ever.

“Where do you think you’re going...”

That voice, as clear as spring water flowing over stones, sounded beside her ear—lazily indifferent, yet chillingly cold. Normally, she might have swooned at such a tone, but now it felt like a demonic chant, clawing at her nerves.

“Nothing... I just... wanted a drink of water. What, am I not even allowed to drink?” Xie Yingying grew nervous, stammering slightly.

“Does drinking require such furtiveness?” Bai Shengyun propped himself up, his fox-like eyes half-open, the silk quilt slipping down his waist. “I helped you, and you just intend to leave?”

Xie Yingying paused in her feigned gesture to drink, then began coughing violently, her delicate brows knotted, her voice rising several pitches: “What do you mean, sneaking around! I was just getting water! And your tone—what’s with that?”

Bai Shengyun’s cherry lips parted, his words resonant and resolute: “What, have you forgotten how I relieved you of the drug’s effects?”

Xie Yingying was momentarily speechless. She didn’t know how to answer this shameless question. Though she thought so inwardly, she still forced a smile.

Suddenly, she realized this fox seemed even more radiant than before. His stunningly beautiful face glowed with newfound satisfaction, like wild roses in full bloom draping over a garden wall—seemingly easy to pluck, yet secretly bristling with thorns, both alluring and perilous.

“This matter, I...”

She certainly didn’t want to anger the male lead, for her life rested in his hands.

A complex emotion flashed in Xie Yingying’s eyes, though not a hint of impatience touched her face; only her trembling fingers betrayed her thoughts.

Bai Shengyun cast her a sidelong glance—he always looked at people this way, even his eyelashes exuding disdain and arrogance, as if no one mattered to him, save for that fleeting warmth shown last night.

“You need to return with me to Mount Gufeng,” he said carelessly, “First, three hundred lashes at the Hall of Discipline; then, before the Empress and elders, you may...”

“You mean, then I’ll die, right?” Xie Yingying didn’t even care about the lashes; she simply raised her face and stared at Bai Shengyun, her voice tinged with despair.

Bai Shengyun paused, then replied, “Then you may marry me.”

So it wasn’t death after all—Xie Yingying was utterly stunned, yet felt no joy.

“What? Marry... you and me?”

Bai Shengyun’s cherry lips pressed into a slight line. “Don’t you want to?”

Xie Yingying lowered her head, thought for a moment, and decided to feign consent, waiting for a chance to escape.

“Fine, marrying first and dying later won’t be too late.” But Bai Shengyun refused to let her off, dashing her hopes with a single sentence.

“It is the fox clan’s taboo. One must marry the first person with whom they truly unite, or risk being consumed by demonic power.”

Otherwise, the soul would be eternally trapped in the frozen abyss—but Bai Shengyun would never tell her this last part.

Xie Yingying felt he was toying with her—giving her a hint of hope, only to ruthlessly extinguish it, simply to watch her struggle between elation and utter despair.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Then why bother to marry?”

Bai Shengyun rose from the bed and vanished behind the screen. After a long while, he appeared before her as a dignified immortal—hair bound by a silver crown, violet robe sweeping the floor.

“Because I want to.”

With that, Bai Shengyun leisurely disappeared from the room, leaving Xie Yingying speechless.

She forced herself to calm down—there was still some time before the wedding. If she planned carefully, survival might not be impossible. More importantly, she possessed a natal artifact.

The Breeze Fan—its name was plain, but it was a weapon the Demon Lord had risked his life to retrieve from an ancient secret realm and gifted her.

Of course, that Demon Lord was another of the original owner’s admirers.

With the fan in hand, she might have stood a chance. Unfortunately, the original owner had been blinded by desire and abandoned even her natal artifact—all for Bai Shengyun’s alluring appearance.

The artifact refused to obey her.

No wonder Bai Shengyun treated her so freely; he was not one to fight unprepared.

The original owner had been out for some time. Though her master wasn’t truly hers, he had treated the original owner well—perhaps he’d find a way to send word.

With these thoughts, Xie Yingying regained her resolve. She had escaped the fate written in the novel, even avoided the protagonist’s aura; surely she could survive.

As she prepared to dress, she realized her gauze robe was utterly ruined. She flung it aside in frustration—this damned old fox had been waiting here all along.

Without clothes, escape was impossible.

She had no choice but to wrap herself in the blanket and search for something to wear. Opening the door, she unexpectedly encountered Bai Shengyun and a young woman standing face to face.

Blossoms cascaded around them—a scene befitting celestial lovers.

The girl wore snow-white garments, exquisitely beautiful. Her mourning attire lent her face a trace of blood, making her captivating to men and endearing to women alike.

Xie Yingying naturally recognized her—none other than Ning Qingqing, one of the original heroines.

Ning Qingqing, the undisputed little white flower of immortal romance.

In looks, Xie Yingying was the first beauty of the demonic sect; Ning Qingqing, the premier enchantress of the immortal sect—no need for further elaboration.

As for her background, Ning Qingqing was the descendant of the merfolk. The merfolk’s tears, fins, and tailbones aided cultivation but offered scant protection. They struggled to survive in turbulent times. Because of her beauty and innocence, she was chosen by the founding ancestor of the immortal sect, her marrow refined and mind manipulated. Upon adulthood, she was forced to swear a soul oath—her life’s mission to captivate the young fox emperor, or else face annihilation.

One had to admit, the author excelled at crafting melodrama—a convoluted, twisting backstory that few could imagine.

Then there’s character: such deep-seated enmity would drive most to darkness and madness, but Ning Qingqing chose instead to protect the immortal sect and fight alongside the male lead.

The male lead ultimately gathered a vast harem, and Ning Qingqing became its most unique member.

The original owner, having crossed paths with this famed enchantress, simply kidnapped her for curiosity’s sake and bound her with the Immortal Lock.

Ning Qingqing proved resourceful, breaking free from the Immortal Lock and tracking the male lead—such was the protagonist’s aura.

Xie Yingying immediately retreated into the room, not even leaving a crack in the door.

She had no way of knowing that Bai Shengyun had been watching her every move, paying no attention to what Ning Qingqing was saying.

When he came to himself, Ning Qingqing repeated her words, patiently awaiting his response.

“Thank you, Immortal Lord, for saving me. May I see your true face?”

Ning Qingqing gazed at him earnestly, her eyes full of longing and sincerity. So eager was she that it nearly broke her usual cool composure.

A life-saving grace, combined with extraordinary aura—how could she not yearn to glimpse his true visage?

Bai Shengyun looked into her clear eyes and suddenly recalled another pair—shrewd and cunning.

That day, Xie Yingying had said the same: “May I see your true face, Immortal Lord?”

Both women cultivated immortality—one so refined and pure, the other so seductive and alluring. It was truly contemptible.

Yet Bai Shengyun had not realized that what was contemptible was also unforgettable...

At this moment, his thoughts lingered on the bewitching Xie Yingying, impatience flickering in his gaze.

He suspected she would not behave herself on this journey.

A harsh glint flashed in Bai Shengyun’s eyes—if she dared to be unruly, he had plenty of means to discipline her.

Perhaps, he thought, he would let her taste agony that pierced bone and soul...